Hunted
by Lorr
Summary: Sheppard's team arrives on a planet where they are welcomed visitors. They soon find out that there are some that aren't so happy to see them.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Hunted

**Author:** Lorr

**Genre/Rating:** General

**Characters:** Weir, Sheppard, Beckett, McKay, Teyla, Ronon

**Disclaimer:** The characters and universe belong to others. Thanks for letting me play.

**Spoilers:** There is some reference to Childhood's End, but do not think there are any spoilers. I apologize if there is.

**Background:** I cannot imagine there would be only one of the devices in Childhood's End in Pegasus. There could be lots more out there that have failed, for whatever reason, or the power source was depleted.

I could have made this story much longer, but have a book to write. Many thanks for all of the lovely feedback for previous stories. It adds fuel to the fire. I hope you enjoy this one.

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Rodney McKay was near collapse. The others could sense it all too plainly, even in the downpour that had started that morning. They were close enough to it themselves. John Sheppard's team of McKay, Teyla and Ronon had been on the run since early the previous evening. Sheppard supported the astrophysicist once they started up the mountainside ten or so hours ago, not long after the rain began. Ronon took point, and McKay's backpack. Teyla was on their six, watching for pursuers. It was close to dark, so Sheppard signaled a stop to Ronon.

McKay leaned back against the tree where the Colonel eased him down. Between painful, gasping breaths, he glanced up to see Sheppard and Ronon huddle together for a few seconds. The big man nodded and disappeared. Sheppard unclipped his backpack and set it next to McKay.

"It'll be dark soon, Rodney, and we'll have to stop. We can rest then." The Colonel spoke in an undertone in McKay's ear between deep, barely controlled breaths of his own. He could see the water streaming down his friend's face in the rapidly waning daylight and flashes of lightening. "Ronon's gone ahead to find a place for us to hold up for a while. Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Panic gripped McKay. He reached out and grabbed Sheppard's arm. "Don't…"

"Just stay put. I'm only going to make sure Teyla finds us. Don't worry, we'll be right back." Sheppard spoke quietly and squeezed McKay's shoulder. The astrophysicist just nodded an acknowledgement and let go.

The Colonel retraced their path. It was difficult to gauge how much further McKay would be able to travel, but he knew it wouldn't be far. McKay was considerably fitter than he was when they first arrived in Atlantis, but the relatively slow pace of their normal off-world missions did not build up his stamina and speed enough for this. Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon were natural athletes and trained almost daily, but even they were numbingly weary.

They had come many miles, the terrain becoming more and more difficult. Each of them had fallen more than once. Sheppard looked around. He knew it was dangerous for them to be moving in this storm, but there was no help for it. The people chasing them had at least two advantages, a familiarity of this region and sheer numbers.

He had long harbored a belief that one day they would come across someone apart from the Genii who was sufficiently angry about the early awakening of the Wraith to actually want revenge. Yesterday, they found them. It seemed the Genii were able to whip up enough rage against Sheppard and his team that some of the people of P4M-362 wanted to kill them.

----------

They weren't surprised to see that the area near the Gate was uninhabited. The MALP showed no buildings within its range of visibility, only six massive stone pillars just beyond the span of the opening wormhole. They were broad enough and tall enough to prevent any small craft from coming through the Gate unless it came through at a crawl and immediately went vertical. Even the Jumpers would not have enough room to maneuver in the space.

It was not unusual for the villages and towns to be some distance away from the Gate. Falnon was no different. Sensors on the MALP discovered only hints that humans did live on the planet. McKay's handheld sensor confirmed signs of life coming from the direction of what they hoped would be a village.

Sheppard and his team walked cautiously through a couple of miles of light forest and pasture before they came upon a sizeable township. A small group of men met them before they reached the buildings. Sheppard stepped forward and smiled.

"Hi!"

"Welcome to Falnon, Sir. I am Dinmar, First Councilor." One of the men came forward. He bowed his head.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is John." Sheppard bowed his head as well. He turned to introduce the others. "This is Teyla, Rodney and Ronon."

Dinmar's companions bowed as they were introduced. "This is Kostan, Matteus, Carnum and Boslin, Councilors of Falnon. We do not recognize your dress. Have any of your people ever visited our world before?"

Sheppard grinned at the formality and glanced at Teyla. She smiled warmly. "No we have not been here before. We have come to trade."

The Mayor looked at the four visitors with a sympathetic expression. "I fear we have little to offer. But, please, the sun is past high. Come and speak with us. You are welcome visitors. Please, come and talk with us."

"Thank you." Sheppard smiled as they began walking and entered the town.

The short walk through the streets drew curious stares and whispers, but nothing more. Several minutes later, they settled around a table at the town's community hall, glasses of the local beer in front of them.

"Where do you come from?" Dinmar asked. The few other people in the hall did not try to hide their curiosity.

"I am from Athos." Teyla bowed her head slightly then looked at Ronon.

"Sateda. My people were from Sateda before it was destroyed by the Wraith." Ronon drained his beer quickly.

Sheppard swirled the liquid in his glass. "Rodney and I are from a planet called Earth. Up until a few months ago, we lived in Atlantis."

"The city of the Ancestors! Until a few months ago?" The Mayor frowned.

"The Wraith attacked the city. It was destroyed in the battle." The Colonel sipped the strong brew. "Most of us escaped to another planet. We've been living there since."

"The city of the Ancestors gone." Dinmar and the others were visibly shocked. "I cannot believe it."

"We wish it was not so." Teyla looked appropriately solemn. "It was a terrible battle and many of our people died that day."

A scraping sound made them look across the hall. Two men were heading for the door. They glanced furtively at the visitors as they walked by. Sheppard listened to them leave but didn't turn. He knew Ronon and Teyla get would size them up, which they did.

"You have our sympathies." Dinmar spoke as all of the Councilors bowed their heads in agreement.

Kostan stared at the closed door then leaned forward. He lowered his voice. "Mayor, these are the people the Genii spoke of."

"The Genii?" McKay said with some alarm. Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla traded quick glances.

Dinmar held his hands up. "They have been here, yes, but we do not trade with them."

"The Genii are not to be trusted. They think only of themselves." Matteus almost spat in anger.

"Even though a few have been swayed by them, most of our people know the Genii for what they are." Boslin shook his head in contempt.

Oh, good, good." McKay changed the subject. "Your town is some distance from the Ring."

"We do not farm near the Ring, or wander in that direction unless necessary. While we sometimes get welcome visitors, we fear the Wraith." Boslin said matter-of-factly. He was the youngest of the Councilors, but had confidence and presence. "It has been many years since the last culling, but we have heard that other worlds have been mercilessly attacked in recent months. We have some refugees here, but there is little we can do."

"Remember the Ancestors warning." Carnum leaned forward. "We were not to live or farm beyond the stream."

"Stream? What stream?" McKay blinked.

"It is dry at this time of year. The bed is about halfway to the Gate from here." Boslin answered.

Dinmar looked away for a moment. "Long ago, the Ancestors left a machine that protected our people from the Wraith. It was on a nearby mountain. And, for thousand of years, it kept the Wraith away. We were warned that the machine's protection extended only to the stream. When it stopped working, we did not break the tradition."

"How did you know?" McKay asked.

"The Ancestors left us a beacon to show the machine still protected us." The High Councilor turned and indicated a squat, octagonal lantern on a pedestal in the corner of the room. The sides were an opaque glass with patterns similar to those in the Gate Room on Atlantis. There was no visible light.

"What happened?" Teyla asked when they saw it was dark.

"The machine is in a cavern on Valdona, one of the mountains to the north. You may have noticed it. Veldona has two sheer faces, south and west." Boslin cut the air with one hand.

Ronon nodded. "Yeah. We saw it."

Boslin continued. "The cave is on the southern face. Generations ago, during a great storm, lightening struck the mountain many times. Our people heard a great rumbling sound and some saw the west side of the mountain fall away. The light went out at the same moment. The cave is still there, but we do not have the means to reach it and would not know how to repair it."

"The next time the Wraith came, the machine did not protect us. We have been at their mercy ever since." The Mayor continued. "After the last culling more than two-hundred years ago, our people constructed the pillars around the Ring in an effort to prevent them coming through in their small ships."

"We wondered about that." McKay carefully sipped from his glass. "You could move further away from the Gate, uh, Ring."

Dinmar explained. "We would like to do that very thing. This valley is the only area for many, many miles that is capable of supporting our people. However, our way is blocked. Beyond the Ring of the ancestors is a sea. No-one who has tried to cross it has ever returned. In all other directions, a vast desert lies beyond the mountains. Many have died in their attempts to find water there. We do not know if there is anywhere else on our world where we could live."

Matteus spoke. "We have also tried to find another, safer world for our people. But, the Wraith go wherever they please. There is nowhere to hide."

Teyla leaned toward Sheppard. "Maybe we can repair this machine."

"I was just thinking that." He raised an eyebrow and smiled at her then turned to the Councilors. "Can you show us where the machine is?"

"Yes, we can show you tomorrow." Matteus smiled.

Dinmar glanced at the window. "It will be dark soon. You must be our guests tonight."

"I'll go check in." Sheppard stood up. "Teyla, feel like coming for a walk?"

"I will accompany you." As she stood up, Boslin did as well. "There is still enough light to show you the cave."

----------

Sheppard stood a few feet from the MALP, looking into the camera. "It's going to take several hours to get to the base of the cliff. I won't know until then if I can climb it."

Elizabeth Weir leaned closer to the screen as she watched Sheppard moved aside to point to the mountains in the distance. Teyla and a young man were standing off to one side. She straightened again as he came back into the picture.

"John, if there was a slide on that mountain…" Elizabeth left the implication unsaid.

"It's been at least a couple of hundred years since the slide, Elizabeth. And, it was on the other face. Don't worry, I won't even try it if I don't think it's safe." He looked around at the broad stone pillars guarding the Gate. "I don't want to knock down the pillars to get a jumper in here if we don't have to. It's the only defense they have."

"Would it be easier to go down from the top?"

"Maybe, but it's about five hundred feet down from the top. It's a long way around and would take at least two days to get up there." He folded his arms over his chest and thought for a moment. "Any word from the Daedalus?"

"Col. Caldwell said earlier they wouldn't be able to leave P6S-436 for several days. The negotiations are going to take some time. It could fall through if they break away now. Then, it would take some time to get to you." She sighed. "You don't want to leave this until the Daedalus can get there, do you?"

"No." He did not elaborate, but she understood. Everyday without the machine could mean disaster for these people. Every man, woman and child would probably be taken next time. The Wraith were attacking everywhere.

"Alright, but I want to hear from you in twenty-four hours."

"I need forty-eight. It's almost dark here so we can't set out until tomorrow morning. That'll give me a day to get there and time to check it out then a day to send someone back to report."

"You should come back here for the night." She suggested.

"We've been invited to stay." He glanced over his shoulder as Teyla and Boslin approached. "They're tickled pink at the idea that we might be able to fix the machine."

"Yes, please, you must be our guests for the might." Boslin came closer. "It is the least we can do."

There was a long silence, and when she responded, Elizabeth did not sound too happy. "Okay. Forty-eight hours. You said you and Rodney needed some things."

----------

McKay stood up when Sheppard, Teyla and Boslin came through the door. "What took you so long?"

"I was waiting for this." Sheppard took a bag from Teyla and a heavy coil of rope from Boslin, and set them on the table in front of McKay. He unclipped his own full pack from his vest and sat down. "We have two days to check it out."

"Did Radek get everything I wanted?" McKay opened the pack and started poking around inside. He pulled out another coil of rope. "What's this for?"

"It's from the search and rescue gear. Boslin pointed out the cave. It's only about two-hundred and fifty feet or so up the cliff face. I should be able to climb it in couple of hours."

"Climb it?" McKay stared at Sheppard.

"Maybe. I need to get a closer look." The Colonel nodded. "Rodney, I've done some rock climbing before."

The Councilors looked at each other hopefully. Dinmar leaned forward. "Does this mean you can repair the machine?"

Sheppard smiled. "We won't know unless we can get a look at it."

"How are you going to repair it, or even know what's wrong with it?" McKay hissed under his breath at Sheppard.

The Colonel turned his head and whispered in McKay's ear. "Rodney, we need to see if there is anything left of it first. We can work out how later."

McKay looked at the Colonel with deepening suspicion but was distracted when Dinmar smiled broadly and spoke. "We will eat. Then, you will be guests in my home tonight."

----------

The mob was easily seen and heard as it moved up the wide street. A young man rushed up to breathlessly tell them the mob's intentions and size, more than fifty. The extent of the incitement surprised the Councilors. And, the man told them, the Genii had put a sizeable bounty on Sheppard and his team. Dinmar, Matteus and Kostan rushed to delay the mob as Boslin and Carnum hurried the team away.

The first move was to get to the Gate. As they approached, they saw it was well guarded, too well to get through without killing or maiming a lot of people. They also saw women and children in the crowd surrounding the way home. Sheppard swore under his breath as they heard a gunshot. It seemed the Genii's poisonous influence supplied more than anger and a reward. The team took the only option open to them. They ran.

The night was spent running first through fields of tall grain crops then orchards. As a gray, overcast dawn approached, they halted at the edge of a two mile-wide stretch of grassland. Sheppard silently sent Ronon northwest while he, Teyla and McKay went more easterly, in the direction of the machine. Ronon waited on the edge of the forest, just long enough to be seen. He led the mob astray for several miles before disappearing amongst the trees.

He caught up with the others just as the rain started. They had been steadily climbing since entering the forest. Dim sunlight filtering through the trees became weaker as they walked in silence. Once the rain began, even walking became difficult and dangerous for of them. They were soon slipping in the mud and decaying pine-like needles on the forest floor. That was ten hours ago.

They didn't even bother to pull the standard issue, camouflage-colored rain ponchos from their vests. The near monsoonal rain soaked them through in minutes and the lightweight material would have been shredded in the dense forest, leaving plastic breadcrumbs for those that would follow. Even Ronon's long coat had offered him little protection.


	2. Chapter 2

After ten minutes rest, McKay was breathing heavily, but no longer felt as if he was going to pass out at any minute. He realized Sheppard wasn't back yet. Trying not to panic, he looked around to see if Ronon had returned. Long minutes later, he saw movement a few yards away. He pushed back against the tree, wanting to disappear. A dark figure paused then came straight for him.

"Rodney?" Teyla's voice was barely audible.

McKay thought he would cry with relief. He whispered hoarsely. "Where is…"

She knelt down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Rodney, John is fine and will be back soon. I am sorry it took so long."

McKay nodded vigorously. "Good, good. Did we loose them?"

She shifted around so that she could see the paths Sheppard and Ronon would take to rejoin them. Her voice was a little breathless as well.

"Maybe. We will have to wait until daylight to know for sure." She carefully watched their surroundings. A large shadow silently approached. Teyla whispered. "Here is Ronon. Perhaps he has found a place for us to rest until morning."

Ronon looked up at the sky as he squatted next to Teyla. "It'll be dark soon. Where's Sheppard?"

"He is watching for our pursuers and will be along shortly." She peered at the path she had taken.

McKay followed Teyla's gaze then looked at Ronon. "Did you find…?"

"Yes, I think so." He looked up again. "We should leave soon to be sure we're not seen."

A few minutes later, Sheppard quietly appeared in front of them. He squatted next to McKay and looked at Ronon, who nodded. The Colonel spoke softly. "Rodney, I need you to go a little further. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." McKay took a couple of deep breaths and tried to stand.

When they saw he was having difficulty, Ronon and Sheppard reached out and helped him rise. They all moved out, following Ronon as he began to climb even higher on the mountain. Teyla again trailed a little way behind to ensure they were not followed. Sheppard steadied McKay to prevent him from falling on the slippery rocks.

They were all grateful when Ronon stopped at a long rocky outcrop. Water flowed over it, creating a waterfall. Ronon ducked and disappeared behind the sheet of water. The niche was not deep enough to be considered a real cave, but sufficient to shelter them from the weather and remain relatively dark. Even though the rain was pouring down, it was dry inside.

The Colonel handed his P-90 to Teyla and took off his pack. Then he turned to unhook McKay's pack and settle him against the back wall. The floor was covered in the needles from the trees around the shallow cave, providing insulation from the cold stone floor as well as a cushion. The mud that covered them earlier was almost completely washed away by the deluge over the last mile or so of rocky ground.

Even in the dim flashes of lightening, Sheppard could see McKay was pale, and had felt him shivering with cold for some time. Ronon and Teyla hovered close by, alternately watching them and the forest near their shelter.

They were all cold. It was summer and the day was warm, but the constant rain leeched the heat from their bodies. The unrelenting exertion of the last twenty-four hours had drained them even further.

"Let's get this off you, Rodney. It'll be easier to get warm."

He knelt next to the exhausted McKay and helped him out of his vest and jacket then pulled an emergency blanket from the vest. He wrapped it around the shivering man then pulled out a rain poncho and draped it over the shiny material. He dug around in the pockets of McKay's vest again and found an energy bar. After tearing open the wrapper, Sheppard pushed it into his hands.

"Eat this. You'll feel better." Sheppard spoke softly, concern in his eyes and voice. He peered closely at his friend in the near dark. "You gonna be okay?"

"Thanks." McKay nodded and began to eat the bar. "I'm alright. I'm good."

The Colonel smiled. "Good. We're going to stay here for a few hours and rest."

"They won't find us, will they?" McKay took another bite, looking at the waterfall.

"No, looks like they've settled in for the night." Sheppard moved McKay's pack to make it a pillow and helped him lay down. "I want you to get some sleep. Don't worry, we'll keep watch."

McKay nodded and, with one last look at the outside, he finished the bar and closed his eyes. Sheppard was sure he was asleep in seconds, but waited next to him to be sure. He gently laid his hand on McKay's shoulder. After a few minutes, he felt the shivering stop and breathing slow to normal.

Sheppard stood up and took off his own wet vest and jacket. He pulled a poncho over his head in hopes of retaining some body heat. Teyla followed suit.

He went over to Teyla and Ronon. "It looks like they pitched camp in some kind of shelter over to the west. It puts them more than a few miles from us."

"When we changed direction to move toward the cave, we left the natural path. That was some time ago, and the rain will have erased any trace of us." Teyla said hopefully. "They may not realize which way we have gone."

Ronon kept watching outward. "I would have trouble finding us, even in the daylight."

"They probably feel that we will eventually have to come down. Dinmar said these mountains were almost impassible." Teyla offered. "And, we have to go by the town get to the Gate."

"Well, I hope they don't figure out we're headed for the cave, but we have to assume they will." Sheppard spoke so softly Teyla and Ronon had to strain to hear him. They looked out at the quickly darkening night. It would be pitch black very soon.

"I don't know why you want to do this. They will try to kill us if they find us." Ronon growled.

"Ronon, most of these people do not wish to harm us." Teyla spoke firmly. "If we can repair the weapon, they will see we are allies, and the Genii will be discredited."

"Yeah." Sheppard sipped from his canteen. "Anyway, we need to get a look at this thing, no matter what."

Ronon exhaled heavily. "We shouldn't be too far from it. Do you really intend to climb up there?"

"I don't know. I'll be able to tell more when the sun comes up." Sheppard reached out to put his hand in the waterfall. "Looks like the rain is slacking off."

"Yes, it is." Teyla pulled the flimsy poncho close around her. "You will not climb if it is still raining, will you?"

"It'll depend." The Colonel stopped her before she could protest. "I'll take first watch. You two get some sleep."

They didn't move for a moment. Sheppard checked his watch and glanced outside. "Look, I'll wake one of you in a couple of hours. It's an order."

As Teyla and Ronon settled down, Sheppard squatted next to McKay. He gently rested his hand on the astrophysicist's chest and then his forehead. Satisfied that he was warming up and sleeping soundly, Sheppard went back to the edge of their little cave and sat down. Except for the diminishing rain and the sound of snoring, it was quiet.

He knew he should need to fight off sleep, but he didn't. His mind would not stand still. The Genii had been here, and were whipping up enough hatred for at least some of the locals to want to kill them. The bounty was a frightening wrinkle, too. If they lived through this, they would need to tread very carefully in the future. Now, he had to get everyone out of this without using deadly force. Sheppard wasn't willing to start shooting unless there was no other option. They needed to get to the Ancient's machine and fix it.

----------

Four hours later, Sheppard stood up and carefully tapped the bottom of Ronon's boot with his own. He'd gotten up a couple of times to stretch tightening muscles, and checked McKay's condition once. The rain stopped completely halfway through his watch, and the waterfall that hid them was no more than an annoying drip.

Ronon slowly stood up, a low groan escaping him as he moved. He, too, was feeling the effects of their long flight. They walked outside and talked quietly.

"Anything?" Ronon pulled out an energy bar and wolfed it down in two bites as he looked around. Even with eyes adapted to it, they found it was nearly impossible to see anything in the darkness.

"No, no movement or sound. I'm gonna get some sleep." Sheppard blinked wearily. "Wake up Teyla in a couple of hours."

Sheppard turned to go back inside. As he turned, Ronon grabbed his arm and looked at his watch. "You let me sleep too long."

"I needed to think." The Colonel yawned and went inside. He squatted next to a snoring McKay, gently shook his shoulder and whispered. "Rodney, roll over, you're snoring."

The scientist mumbled and did has he was told. Sheppard chuckled and lay down in the spot Ronon had just vacated. He rested his hand on his P-90 and was asleep in seconds.

----------

A gentle vibration on Sheppard's wrist woke him four hours later. He slowly opened his eyes then sat up. McKay was still on his side, breathing evenly. He could see dim sunlight outside of their little shelter. Teyla and Ronon were standing at the mouth. They both turned to watch him as he got up, pulled off his poncho and stuffed it into his vest.

"The sun will be up soon." Ronon said quietly.

Sheppard took a mouthful of water from his canteen and swirled around it in his mouth. "Any movement below?"

"Not that we can tell." Teyla looked down the hill.

"I can check it out." Ronon offered.

Sheppard shook his head as he ducked under the overhang and stepped into the open. He was pleased to see nearly clear sky when he looked up. Immediately, he searched upwards for the cave. The slope was steep and hazardous, the tree-line just yards away. Being careful of where he was stepping, he moved between the rocks and trees as he studied at the cliff above them. After a couple of minutes he stopped and pulled out his binoculars. Ronon and Teyla watched him peer through them for a long time, moving them up and down and side to side. Finally, he put the binoculars away and came back to them.

"How are you going to get McKay up there?" Ronon folded his arms over his chest. Teyla quickly checked to see if McKay was awake.

"I'm hoping I won't need to." Sheppard nodded as he stooped to get under the overhang again. He knelt next to his backpack and opened it. After emptying it out and rummaging around for a moment, he leaned over and shook McKay's shoulder. The astrophysicist jerked awake and groaned.

"What happened? Where are we?" He sat up with effort and looked around. He suddenly remembered where they were. "What's wrong? Did they find us?"

"Shh. No, Rodney. They haven't found us." Sheppard grabbed McKay's pack and opened it, as well as Teyla and Ronon's. He started rearranging the gear. "The sun's coming up. We have to get moving."

McKay rolled to his hands and knees. He groaned again. "I can't get up."

"You'll feel better once you have moved around a little." Teyla walked over and helped him to his feet. "The rain has stopped and the sun is coming out."

McKay pulled off the poncho and silvery emergency blanket. Then he turned to look for his vest. "I need food."

Sheppard handed him an MRE then a canteen as Teyla began to fold the discarded garments. McKay ate and drank in silence for a minute, watching Sheppard pull two thick coils of brightly colored rope, a smaller blue coil and a few other things he didn't recognize out of the packs and rearrange them.

"What're those?" He asked between bites. Teyla watched with interest.

"Carabiners, wedges, belays, a pulley and harnesses." Sheppard held up each as he named them before putting them in his pack. There were a couple of figure eight belays devices, about one and a half dozen D-shaped carabiners, and an equal number of metallic wedges of varying sizes, each with a long cord loop attached to them. He finished repacking the gear, lastly shoving one of the harnesses into McKay's pack.

"Where did they come from?" The astrophysicist asked quickly. "Wait. Why are you putting that in my pack?"

"They're part of the search and rescue gear. Remember?" Sheppard glanced up at him. "It's a harness, Rodney. I only need one, and we can't leave it lying around. Teyla and Ronon's packs are already full enough."

"It is very light, Rodney." Teyla handed Sheppard the neatly folded poncho and blanket. He put them in McKay's vest pockets.

"So, you really intend to get to try to get to the cave?" McKay mumbled with a full mouth.

"Yes."

After finishing the food, McKay slowly squatted down again and checked his equipment. The data pad and sensors were well wrapped and dry. He noted with relief that they worked when turned on. He carefully put them in his pack again and stood up, using Teyla and the wall for support.

He watched Sheppard for a moment, noting the amount going into the pack. "How the hell are you going to carry all of that? It must weigh, what, fifty or sixty pounds!"

"About fifty. I'll be using it as I go, Rodney. And, I can anchor it on the wedges on the way and haul it up." Sheppard glanced up at them with a grin. "There are ways."

Sheppard finished with the gear and strapped one large coil of rope onto the bottom of his pack. He then emptied the front pockets of his vest, pushing some things into his already full pack and handing others to Teyla. He held up his jacket and she took it. She knelt down and tucked the jacket inside her pack with the other things he handed her. When he came to the spare ammunition clips for his sidearm, he paused, packed one then handed one the others to Teyla.

"What are you doing?" McKay took a long drink from his canteen to wash down the second energy bar.

"I'm gonna need to drop the vest and pack when I start climbing, so I'm taking only what I can carry up." He turned back to Ronon. "Any sign of them?"

Ronon came in and looked down at Sheppard. He shook his head. "Nothing. Yet."

Sheppard handed McKay his gear then stood and shrugged into his vest. Ronon helped him clip on the full pack while Teyla helped McKay into his vest and pack. Ronon helped Teyla clip on hers then slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Okay, we're pretty close to the cave. We can go part way up the debris field together then I want you guys to go find a good position. Once I get to the wall, there's only two-hundred fifty feet or so to climb. It shouldn't take me more than a couple of hours if the route is decent. You're going to need to protect yourselves and be close enough to watch my back."

"They're going to be able to see you!" McKay looked at Teyla and Ronon with a deep frown. He turned to Sheppard. "You'll be completely exposed up there. They'll know where we are!"

"I'm sure they'll figure it out anyway, Rodney. That's why I want you to find a good position." Sheppard turned to the overhang and ducked out. The others followed, McKay moving stiffly. "Look, there's a good four hundred yards of heavy terrain to get over and they are still miles away. You'll have the high ground and should be able to hold them off easily."

"I very much doubt they have more than three or four weapons and very little ammunition. The Genii are not willing to give anyone too much power." Teyla looked back at the direction from which they came the night before. "And, the weapons would be very primitive compared to our own."

Sheppard tapped his radio. "Just keep in contact."

They left the overhang, climbing out of the trees and into the open. Each looked the worse for wear. Bruises and scraps gave evidence of the grueling day of flight.

Carefully picked their way through the landslide, they tried to keep out of sight while moving as quickly as possible. At one point, they came across a small stream of rainwater runoff in the rocks. After tasting it, they drank deeply and filled almost empty canteens. It was going to be a long, hot day.

When this side of the mountain came down millennia ago, it left a wide, sloping field of huge slabs and boulders peppered with smaller rubble. It was more settled and easier to navigate than the newer slide on the other face would have been for them. As it was, they all found it very difficult to remain on their feet. To help him pick up speed, Ronon quickly relieved McKay of his pack.

The Colonel stopped about a hundred yards from the cliff-face and pulled out his binoculars again. The mouth of the cave was not large, only about twelve feet wide and six or seven high. It was an irregular, rectangular opening. He turned to search behind them and to the west. The others also scanned the trees and hills below for signs of movement.

"I don't see anything moving, but the forest is pretty dense. We have to assume they're still coming. Let's just hope they aren't too close." Sheppard said quietly then turned to look up at the cliff face. He searched from the bottom to the cave mouth in slow sweeps for several minutes. "Okay, looks like there's a decent route. I'll have to go up a little to the right and then cross over."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" McKay looked up at the seemingly sheer cliff.

"Well, not really, but I don't think we have any choice right now." Sheppard handed Teyla his binoculars. He looked around at where they had paused then at Ronon and Teyla. "This looks like a defensible position. If you want to find a better one, go ahead. Just let me know where you are."

"No, this will be fine." Ronon assessed their surroundings then looked up at the cliff.

Teyla glanced up as well. "John, be careful."

"Piece of cake." Sheppard gave McKay his P-90, but looked at all three of them. "Just don't shoot anyone unless you absolutely have to. Most of these people want to be allies. I don't want to blow that."

He took a deep breath and headed off. McKay continued to watch him as Teyla and Ronon turned to search for the Falnons.

----------

The Colonel neared the base of the cliff and looked for the first handhold. When he was satisfied with his position, he took off the pack and vest and pulled on the harness. He quickly ate a couple of energy bars and drank some water as he arranged ropes, wedges and the other climbing paraphernalia on the harness. Once he finished, he stuffed his vest, jacket and pack into a gap in the rocks.

He stood up again and scanned the sheer wall above. His mind was running through the features he had seen through the binoculars. After a minute, Sheppard rolled his shoulders and took a couple of deep breaths in an effort to push away the fatigue and aching in his whole body. Then, he dried his already sweating hands on his pant legs and reached up.

----------

"Rodney, Elizabeth gave us forty-eight hours to check in again. We will not be missed until then." Teyla used the binoculars to search for their pursuers.

Ronon leaned on one of the boulders, seemingly relaxed, though his eyes never stopped wandering. "Do you see Sheppard yet?"

McKay turned back to look for the Colonel. Even though he was going uphill, Sheppard occasionally disappeared for a few minutes at a time as he scrambled around and over the rocks. They knew it would take him some time to get over the hundred or so yards to the base of the cliff and prepare to climb. It was more than half an hour before they saw him ascending the wall.

"I see him." McKay squinted in the glare of the rising sun. He shielded his eyes with his hand. "Yeah. Yeah. Can I have the binoculars?"

The others quickly turned to look as well. It took them a moment to find Sheppard. Teyla watched for a few seconds then handed the binoculars to McKay and went back to her search with Ronon. They did not expect to see the Falnons for at least two or three hours, but did not want to be surprised.

McKay watched for a minute then moved the glasses around to find the cave. He frowned. "Why is he climbing there? He's going to miss it by a mile."

Ronon glanced at the cliff. "He said it was the best…route. He will make his way across when he is closer."

The astrophysicist seemed satisfied with the answer and fell silent.


	3. Chapter 3

Sweat glued his black t-shirt to his skin within minutes. Sheppard wished he had a bag of powdered chalk to keep his hands dry. The day was going to be hot and steamy, and he frequently found rainwater pooled in the handholds on the way up. He slowly moved from one handhold to the next, occasionally lodging a wedges into one of the many small cracks in the face of the rock. After anchoring the rope to the wedge and testing it would hold his weight in a fall, he would move on.

It was easier going than Sheppard thought it would be, but there was a frequent need to dry his hands. He kept his weight on his legs, even though the muscles burned from the previous day's effort. About halfway up, Sheppard paused to drink some water and rest for a few minutes. He leaned back slightly, wiped his wristband across his forehead and looked around.

From a hundred and thirty feet up, he could see the extent of the side of this mountain falling down. The debris extended hundreds of yards, far into the trees which had grown up through the rubble where they could. He turned slightly and found the rest of his team. Then he looked to see if he could find the Falnons.

After a few minutes, Sheppard saw movement well down the mountain and west a couple of miles. There were still a sizeable number of them, perhaps twenty or twenty-five. He was not happy to see them, but was relieved they had followed Ronon's original heading for a long time, and were hours away. He unclipped his radio from the back of his harness.

"Teyla?" He spoke quietly.

She responded with an equally hushed voice. "Yes?"

Sheppard pointed in the direction of the Falnons. "Somewhere between twenty and thirty, about eight miles to my seven. Can you see them?"

"Stand by." A few minutes passed before she spoke again. "No, we cannot see them yet. Can you tell which way they are going?"

"I think they've figured out where we went. They're looping around in this direction." He watched for another minute. "Yep, they're coming this way."

He heard McKay's voice next. "How long before they get here?"

Sheppard couldn't help chuckling. Leave it to Rodney to get right to the point. "Two or three hours, maybe more. They'll have to cross the newer fall. It's bigger and a hell of a lot rougher than this side. That'll slow them up a bit."

"Okay. Shouldn't you get moving again?"

"Yeah." He took one more long around the entire area. "I don't see any other movement, but keep your eyes open. I'll check in when I get up to the cave."

"Be careful." McKay said with feeling.

Sheppard smiled and readied himself to start off again.

----------

McKay was leaning forward on a boulder, binoculars glued to his eyes. His jacket was draped over her head to protect him from the sun. They had been waiting for almost an hour since Sheppard contacted them. Once the sun cleared the trees, the air and rocks warmed quickly. It was difficult to stay awake in the heat and bright sunshine. Even Ronon and Teyla were finding it difficult to stay alert. Ronon's voice startled him.

"Where is he?" Ronon did not turn to look. He and Teyla maintained their vigil.

McKay had been watching the Colonel the entire time. He was fascinated by the almost rhythmic motion. Sheppard would climb three or four times his height, pause to secure the rope to the rock, dislodge the previous anchor and take in the slack then climb again. Over and over again, this little dance was played.

"He's right under the mouth of the cave. Only another fifty feet or so." He suddenly straightened, his jacket falling to the ground. "Oh, God!"

Both Teyla and Ronon whipped around. It was easy to pick the Colonel's black t-shirt out against the dun colored cliff. He was swinging slightly and scrambling to get a handhold again. After a few moments, they saw him move upwards a few feet. Then he stopped. A minute or two later, he waved with one hand then started climbing again. Teyla looked at McKay, who was visibly shaken.

"I am sure he is alright, Rodney. He seems to be moving easily enough." Teyla smiled reassuringly. Both she and Ronon were taking turns watching the direction the group Sheppard spotted and scanning the entire tree-line. Now, they stole worried glances at the cliff every two or three minutes. They were tired enough, so they knew Sheppard had to be near exhaustion.

"Damn. I thought for sure he was going to fall." McKay lowered the binoculars and exhaled heavily. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and brought the glasses back to his eyes. His heart kept pounding for several minutes. It was enough to keep him awake and alert until the Colonel reached the cave thirty minutes later.

----------

Sheppard leaned back on his anchor and looked up. He had crossed from his ascent route. Now he was directly under the mouth, about fifty feet below it. He turned to look for the men on their trail. They were still a good three or four miles away. The terrain was difficult and slowed them considerably.

The sun-warmed cliff was getting to be almost too hot to touch. He was sweating profusely and finding it hard to keep his hands dry. He wiped them on already damp clothes and waved them around in an attempt to dry them. Giving it up as a lost cause, Sheppard carefully reached up for the next hand hold. He felt for the most secure places before pulling and pushing himself up a few feet.

This time knew he would fall as soon as he put weight on his next grip. He did not have his feet properly positioned in time. Straining fingers slipped off the tiny ledge and he fell until he dangled on the rope anchored to the last wedge placed in the rock wall. He swore through clenched teeth as the abrasive surface scraped skin from his arms and hands as he tried to stop falling and steady himself. He started upwards again, wondering how he could have possibly thought this was a good idea.

Sheppard was grateful when he finally hauled himself into the mouth of the cave. After pausing to catch his breath and swallow some water, he sat on the edge and unclipped his radio. He looked out at the landscape below him.

"Teyla? Rodney?"

McKay responded quickly. "Are you okay?"

The Colonel glanced at his arms. The abrasions weren't bad, but stung as the sweat ran though them.

"Yeah, just a few scratches." He leaned forward slightly to watch the approaching Falnons. "Our new friends are getting closer. You have maybe an hour before they're in range of the P-90s."

"Yes, we have been watching them closely." Teyla responded. "Do you see any others?"

"No…wait." Sheppard scanned the area again then saw movement in the distance. "There's a handful of people some distance out, maybe six or seven miles behind. They are headed in this direction, though."

"Have you found the machine?" McKay asked.

"I'm just going to look. I'll let you know what I find." He rolled back and stood up as he unclipped the harness and wiggled out of it. The cave was dark after the bright sunlight outside. It took several minutes for his eyes to become accustomed to it. He pulled a small flashlight out of a bag hanging from the harness and cautiously walked into the darkness.

When he found the machine, Sheppard was not surprised by it. The squat device was similar to the one they found on M7G-677, but more massive. It seemed older, too. He could not see what the problem was, though. There was no rubble in the cave, no sign of any damage. Apart from being covered in a thick layer of dust, the machine itself seemed unharmed.

He worried that the ZPM might be depleted. As he brushed the dust away, the top of the device rose with a hiss. The Ancient power source glowed brightly. Sheppard frowned at it. He touched the cover and it descended again. Nothing happened. He rested his hand on it for several seconds, but knew it wasn't going to work.

Rodney was not going to like this.

----------

"What! You want me to do what?" McKay's voice was rising.

Teyla and Ronon both shushed him in alarm.

Sheppard's voice came over the radio again. "Rodney, not so loud."

"I just knew you were going to expect me to come up there!" The astrophysicist hissed into his radio.

"You have to. I don't see anything wrong with it and the ZPM isn't dead." Sheppard exhaled heavily. "Rodney, I can't fix it. You have to come up here."

"I don't know how to climb!" McKay tried not to whine. "I'm not good with heights. You know that."

Ronon and Teyla listened to the exchange in silence as they watched the mob in the distance.

""I know, Rodney." Sheppard spoke gently, knowing this was going to be very difficult for McKay to do. "Look, we don't have time to argue. I'll do all the work. You just have to hang on for the ride."

"I can tell you what to do. You can fix it." McKay said with what he knew was vain hope. He glanced at Teyla and Ronon then back up at the cliff.

"You know you're the only one that can fix it, Rodney."

"What about using a Jumper?"

"The Jumper can't come through the Gate because of the pillars. Besides, it would be stranded when you repair the machine." Teyla said quietly.

Sheppard was sympathetic, but worried about the dwindling amount of time they had. "Don't worry, I won't drop you."

McKay whimpered then hung his head for a moment. "Alright."

Sheppard exhaled in relief. "Good. Bring your pack and come to the cliff directly below the cave. I'll get ready."

Teyla spoke into her radio. "Do you want us to stay here?"

There was a moment's silence. "No, I need you to help Rodney. And, I could use my P-90 to cover you."

----------

When they arrived at the base of the cliff, a rope with two loops at the end dangled there. Each loop had a carabiner tied on the end. McKay looked up and gulped in dread.

"Rodney?" Sheppard's voice made him jump.

"Don't do that!" McKay was breathing heavily from his scramble over the rocks. "We're here. What do I do?"

"Get the harness out of…"

"I knew it!" McKay muttered through clenched teeth. "You knew you were going to get me up there!"

"No, I hoped I wouldn't have to ask you to do this." Sheppard winced. He didn't want McKay agitated for this. It was going to be hard enough with him as calm as possible. "Ronon, get out the harness then attach his pack and my P-90 to the rope. Rodney, while I haul it up, put on the harness. You can do this."

Ronon set the backpack on a boulder and fished out the harness. He handed it to McKay and tucked the weapon inside. Then he hooked the pack onto the rope and gave it a tug. It quickly moved up the rock. He stuffed his coat in between a couple of boulders then took up a position to watch for the Falnons.

"Rodney?" Sheppard spoke quietly as he hauled up the pack.

"What?" McKay was obviously anxious.

"Turn your radio on vox so you can talk to me hands free."

McKay nodded and fumbled with his radio. "Okay. Now what?"

"Listen. I'll pull you up. Hang onto the rope with both hands. Use your legs to steady yourself. You can lean back a little, but not too much. The closer your center of gravity is to the rock face, the better. Okay?"

As the Colonel talked, Teyla helped McKay into the harness, carefully checking the buckles and making sure it was snug before slipping his vest back on.. Several minutes later, the rope reappeared, the carabiners clinking against the rock. An extra carabiner was hanging from the rope. A wedge was attached to it by a foot long strap.

"Hook the carabiners onto the harness." Sheppard instructed. "Rodney, you can use the wedge to anchor yourself if we need to take a break. You'll need to find a crack in the rock for it, but just let me know if you want to rest. Okay?"

Teyla clipped the rope and anchor to the harness and gave another tug.

"Rodney?" Sheppard took up the slack in the rope.

The scientist just nodded. He was pale. Teyla touched his arm.

"Yes, yes." He nodded again then looked up. "Oh, God. I'm going to die."

Teyla and Ronon looked away, trying to keep a straight face.

Sheppard cleared his throat. "Not today. I won't let you fall, I promise."

McKay sighed heavily. He looked at Teyla and Ronon then up towards Sheppard.

"Right, okay, I'm ready." He stood at the cliff, feeling for handholds.

"Rodney, look straight ahead, not up or down." Sheppard said softly. "Hang onto the rope."

"Right. Yes, sorry." McKay grabbed the rope with both hands.

As Sheppard began to pull, McKay let go of the rope for a moment to grab for the rock. Teyla steadied him and he grabbed the rope again. His feet scrambled in an effort to find traction. Soon, he was out of her reach and on his way up. She watched for a minute then turned her attention to the group of men closing the gap between them.

Ronon glanced at her then up at McKay. "Sheppard?"

"Go." The Colonel's voice revealed the strain of his task. "Both of you. Go to channel two on the radio. We'll stay on one."

Ronon grinned at Teyla. They split up and moved towards their pursuers.

----------

"Rodney?"

"What?" McKay stopped moving upward. He grasped the rope as tight as he could and looked up. The action made the rope sway a little. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sheppard was breathing heavily. "I need to reposition myself, so I want you to find a crack and stick the wedge in it. Okay?"

"The what? Wait. You want me to let go?" McKay's voice had the edge of panic. "You want to let go?"

"It'll be fine. The wedge is that hunk of aluminum hooked to your harness, remember? Will you find a place to anchor yourself, please?"

McKay felt for the cord. He was dismayed at the relatively small size of the wedge and its light weight. He looked around for a crack in the surface. "There may be something about five feet up. Can you…?"

He started to move again with a small jerk. A minute later, he spotted a likely site. "Stop. Here. Don't let go yet!"

"I won't." Sheppard waited for a moment. "Does the wedge fit?"

McKay pushed the wedge into the split in the rock and pulled down on it. He took a couple of deep breaths. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good. Now put your weight on it. Don't worry, I'm still holding you."

"Okay, okay. Let me try it." McKay tugged on the cord attached to the wedge a couple of times. Then he moved to take his weight off the rope, putting all of it on the wedge. He took a couple more deeps breaths, holding the cord tightly. "What if it falls out?"

"I just need a foot or so of slack for a minute. I still have you. Ready?"

"No, not really, but go ahead." The astrophysicist screwed his shut tight.

Sheppard locked the rope on the belay device attached to his harness. If anything were to happen, the pulley on the upper rim of the cave would stop him. It was anchored to the rock with three wedges. And, he had backup safety by means of a rope that secured his harness to another anchor behind him. He was grateful for the amount of equipment sent through the Gate. It made the climb and getting McKay up here a good deal easier than it might have been.

He arched his back and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the burning in his muscles. Then, he picked up his canteen and swallowed a mouthful. He was almost afraid to look at his hands. The calluses had not afforded him much protection. A couple of the blisters were broken and beginning to bleed. He would have to wait for the meager medical supplies in McKay's vest to do anything about them. After waiting for his breathing to get back to normal, he took the slack off the rope again.

"Rodney?"

McKay opened his eyes and looked up. "Yes? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Can you tell me where the Falnons are?"

"Okay." Try as he might, McKay could not turn his head enough to see them. He let go of the cord and carefully put his hands on the hot stone. He slowly twisted until he could see the group of men. They were almost in range, even for their more primitive weapons. It took him a little longer to find Teyla and Ronon. They were almost a hundred yards away.

"You need to hurry. They'll be in range real soon." He turned back to face the cliff and looked up. The fear of possible gunfire and his exposed position was greater than his fear of heights. He tugged on the rope. "Can you go faster?"

Sheppard braced himself to take McKay's weight again. "I'll try. You need to help."

"Help? How?"

"Make like you're Batman, Rodney."

----------

Teyla shook her head at Ronon's glee as he started to work his way down the slide again. She took a slightly different tack so that they would flank the approaching men. They would only need to keep them out of range and busy until McKay was in the cave.

Ronon was close, she knew. The two of them planned a course of action early, before the Colonel woke up. They immediately knew he would want McKay to try repairing the machine as soon as he said he would climb up there. The strategy was simple. They would be far enough apart to flank the group of men, but close enough to cover each other. They also needed to stay near to the cliff to protect the cave.

She looked back at the cliff to see how far up Sheppard had been able to haul McKay. She was quite surprised by the progress when she saw he was halfway there. And, he was doing remarkably well. He seemed to be walking up the rock in kind of a crouch. Peculiar, but apparently effective. Teyla could not help smiling. She had been impressed by how easily Sheppard coaxed him into it. Rodney must be very tired.

She turned and saw Ronon point to the second, smaller group of men hurrying to catch the first. They were still too far to be sure, but Teyla thought that Boslin and Matteus were among them. She nodded then focused on the main group. They would be in range of the cave in less than thirty minutes.

As planned, Ronon stood and aimed his weapon. "Stop."

Teyla scrambled up so that she could be seen but had cover. She flicked off the safety. "I suggest you do as he says."

"Why should we?" A very large, middle-aged man demanded. "You woke the Wraith. The Genii will give us weapons and protection in exchange for you."

"How many have they given you so far?" Ronon asked evenly. "On my planet, we had thousands of soldiers and weapons. It didn't matter. Only three hundred of my people survived."

The men looked at each other. They were all weary and disheveled from the chase. The big man and two others held rifles. The others had knives and farm implements, and not much more.

"There are only two of you." The leader sneered. "You can't hold us all off."

Teyla turned her weapon just a little away from the crowd. She squeezed the trigger just long enough to fire half a dozen rounds then aimed at the large man. They all jumped and many dodged behind boulders.

----------

McKay lost his footing when the sound of the shots reached him. The sudden movement caused the rope to pull through Sheppard's hands and he swore viciously. He was far enough in the cave for the sound to have been muffled slightly. He knew what happened.

"Damn it, Rodney!" He struggled to loop the rope on the belay to lock it in place. "Don't do that!"

"They're shooting!" McKay steadied himself and turned as far as he could, to look. Then he realized that this was possibly delaying him getting to safety. "Oh, God, hurry, pull me up!"

"Rodney, that was Teyla's P-90. Can you see them?" Sheppard's voice was calm. "Tell me what you see."

McKay carefully looked around again. "The Falnons aren't moving. Some of them are hiding, but they're not moving. It looks like Teyla and Ronon have them covered."

"Okay, Teyla was probably just showing them we have more firepower." Sheppard gingerly wiped his hands on his already dusty, sweaty trousers. "Get ready. We can't expect them to hold those guys for long."

McKay steadied himself and looked up. "Okay, I'm ready."

Sheppard loosened the rope and began pulling again.

----------

"We are trying to repair the machine. Isn't that better than any weapons the Genii are willing to give you?" Teyla said angrily.

"How can it be repaired?" One of the other men spoke up. "It was damaged generations ago, when the side of the mountain fell away."

"Rodney has worked with the Ancestors' machines for a long time. He knows more about them than anyone else." Teyla's tone became more diplomatic. "And, Col. Sheppard said it did not appear damaged."

"Pollus, it would not hurt for us to let them try to repair it." Another of the men

"The Genii are our allies, Abel. These people woke up the Wraith."

"The Wraith were already culling worlds. Sadeta was destroyed seven years ago, long before these people came here." Ronon growled.

"Pollus!" Two of the men said together. "Let them try."

"We do not wish to hurt you, but we will defend ourselves and our comrades if we need to." Teyla's voice was filled with determination.

She could see that many of the Falnons were hesitating. A few of them converged on Pollus and a heated discussion ensued. After several minutes, the man called Abel turned to her.

"We have word that Boslin and Matteus are coming. We will wait and discuss this with them."

Pollus and a couple of the other men moved off to the rear of the group, obviously dissatisfied with the results of the discussion. Teyla and Ronon were not happy that two of the three, including Pollus, had a weapon. Everyone else sat on the rubble, talking in hushed tones. Ronon and Teyla settled in to wait, wary eyes watching the Falnons. They flicked their radios back to channel one.

"Colonel?"

"Yeah?" Sheppard grunted.

"We have a temporary truce. It seems that Boslin and Matteus are among those we can see in the distance. The Falnons here are willing to wait until they arrive." She turned aside a little. "Most of them anyway."

"Okay, keep me posted." There was a pause. "How far down is Rodney?"

"About fifty feet." Ronon glanced over his shoulder as he settled on a large boulder.

----------

McKay's head and shoulders finally appeared in the mouth of the cave. His arms flailed as he tried to grasp the edge.

"Hold still, Rodney. I'll get you." Sheppard locked the rope on the belay again. He reached behind and pulled around a carabiner attached to a loop of rope. He clipped the carabiner to the belay and he then detached himself from it.

Sheppard reached out and caught McKay's harness. The astrophysicist gripped his arm and held on for dear life as he was pulled in. Sheppard steadied him and unhooked the carabiners from his harness.

"You can let go now." Sheppard said wearily.

"Yes, thanks." McKay was almost hyperventilating. He looked back at the mouth of the cave and took several steps further in. Then he turned on the Colonel. "Never again!"

"It'll be easier going back down." Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "You do want to get down again, don't you?"

McKay groaned and looked down at the distance to the rocks below.

"Adam West would be proud of you, Rodney." Sheppard stepped out of his own harness. He pointed to deeper in the cave. "The machine is about fifty feet in. I want to see what's going on out here."

McKay saw the blood on Sheppard's hands. He began to search his vest pockets for the first aid gear. "Wait. What happened?"

"No gloves, so I got some blisters." He took a sachet of antibiotic powder and two small bandages from McKay. "Thanks."

The Colonel squatted down next to McKay's pack. He pulled out his P-90 and an energy bar, picked up his canteen then went to the mouth of the cave. After watching the scene below for a full minute, Sheppard sat down where he could still see Teyla, Ronon and the Falnons. He leaned against the wall and quickly cleaned up his hands. Then, he drank some water and began to eat the energy bar.

McKay busied himself checking his equipment. He pulled out the binoculars and went to hand them to Sheppard. "Teyla said to give these to you."

"Thanks." Sheppard laid them on his lap.

McKay patted his vest and opened another pocket. He handed the Colonel his sunglasses.

"Nice. Thanks." Sheppard put the rest of the food in his mouth and gratefully slid the glasses on. He chewed as he scanned the people below with the binoculars. Teyla and Ronon seemed to be relaxed, but alert. The majority of the Falnons were sitting in a large, loose group, talking or dozing in the sun. He focused on three who were sitting apart from the main group. Two of them had Genii weapons. Sheppard knew the big one was the leader of the mob from the other night. He kept glancing around, a stony expression on his face.

He turned the glasses on to the small knot of approaching men. They were still more than a mile away, and their speed had dropped considerably. They had apparently seen the truce, or were just too tired to hurry any more.

McKay finished checking his equipment and picked up his pack. He carefully peered out of the cave. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I think that's Boslin and Matteus coming. The others must be waiting for them." Sheppard drank from his canteen but did not take his eyes from the scene below.

"Okay. You said the device was back there?" McKay glanced back into the cave. Sheppard nodded. "I'll go check it out."

McKay picked up his pack, turned on his flashlight and walked deeper into the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

Boslin and Matteus went directly to Pollus when they arrived. The others in their group stayed close to the edge of the rest of the men.

"Pollus, these people want to help us! They are trying to repair the Ancestor's machine." Matteus was angry. Even though Pollus had a weapon, the Councilor was not intimated.

"The Genii are our friends. These people are strangers." Pollus glared at Matteus and Boslin.

"Yes, they are strangers, but you have seen their weapons. Saular told us about it." Boslin spoke evenly. "They could have easily gotten to the Ring and left, but they did not want to hurt our people. Instead, they came here. They risked their lives to come here to help us."

Most of the men nodded. Abel spoke up. "Listen to them, Pollus. We saw two of their number climb to the cave. No-one has ever been able to do that before."

"Rodney may be able to repair the device." Teyla said. "It would mean your people would be safe from the Wraith again."

Pollus' closest supporters nodded. They whispered to him for several seconds. Finally, he asked. "And, what if they cannot repair it?"

"We will do what we can to help you defend yourselves against the Wraith." Ronon stood up. "This is a fight for all of us, and we will survive only if we stand together."

Boslin motioned for one of his men and looked at Pollus' men. He targeted three young men that were obviously unsure of what to do. "Benoro, Stanisla, Treven, will you go with Patric? Councilor Dinmar will be anxious to hear that our guests are unharmed and attempting to repair the machine."

The three men hesitated, glancing at each other and their leader.

"Your families are worried about you." Boslin was trying to reason with them, his attitude one of concern. He had chosen three with young wives and children. "You left them to come on this wild chase against people who would be our friends. You left them without thought for their safety. Go back to town. You are needed there."

They glanced at each other again and nodded. Without looking to Pollus, they left with Patric. They did not see the growing anger on Pollus' face.

----------

McKay was deep in thought as he worked on the device. The top was raised and the ZPM exposed. He jumped when Sheppard bent down next to him.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Sheppard tapped his radio. "Did you hear?"

"Yes, I did." McKay pointed to part of the device and handed Sheppard his flashlight.

The Colonel took the light and pointed it. "What do you think?"

McKay shrugged. "It doesn't look like the lightening or slide did any damage. The crystals appear to be intact. I need more time to go over everything."

Sheppard peered into the cavity of the machine. "Okay. If you don't need anything, I'm going to go keep in eye on things."

"Sure, I'm fine. Go." The astrophysicist didn't even look up as he waved Sheppard away.

----------

Two hours later, the Colonel blinked sleepily in the heat. It was only mid-morning, but he was having difficulty concentrating. He shook his head in an effort to clear the buzzing of sleeplessness and fatigue. He picked up the binoculars to survey the people scattered over the rocks below.

"Rodney? How's it going?" Sheppard turned towards the interior of the cave to ask without using the radio.

"It isn't! I can't find anything wrong with it." McKay's voice had a near-frantic edge as he shouted back. "Damn it!"

Sheppard watched Pollus for a few minutes then activated his radio again. He spoke softly. "Teyla?"

"Yes?"

"How's it going down there?"

"Pollus and a few others are restless, but I believe everything is under control." She turned away to speak to him.

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute. Let me know if anything stirs."

"I will."

----------

McKay was sitting on the ground, touching the device with a probe then tapping on his data pad. He glanced up at Sheppard. "What? I don't know what's wrong yet! And you hovering around isn't going to help it go any faster."

Sheppard blinked as his eyes adapted to the dim light. "Easy, Rodney. I just came to see if I could help…"

The astrophysicist gave him a look of impatience.

"…or, just chat." He peered into the open top of the device. "Seriously, do you need any help?"

"No." McKay paused mid-tap and looked up at the Colonel. "I can't find anything wrong with it. I've tried everything I can think of."

"Is the ZPM okay?" Sheppard cautiously flexed stiff fingers.

"Yes, as far as I can tell without taking it back to the lab." McKay exhaled noisily. He thought for a moment. "Actually, I think it has a good deal of charge left. Being off for the last couple of hundred years didn't hurt."

Sheppard walked around the machine and McKay, looking it over using his small flashlight. "Is there a reset button?"

McKay glared at him for a long moment. His expression changed suddenly and he held up a finger. He pressed two symbols on the device then hunched over the data pad again. "I have an idea. Go away now."

Sheppard nodded and quietly walked back toward the mouth of the cave.

----------

Ronon shifted after sitting quite still for a while. He had appeared relaxed, almost unconcerned, but was closely watching several of the Falnon men. More than Pollus were not happy with the truce. Four, no five, of them were sprinkled through the entire group. During the hours of waiting, he and Teyla had identified them. It was not hard to spot the furtive glances and signals.

One of the men casually made his way over to another. They both turned their backs to Teyla and Ronon, but were in Pollus' line of sight.

"Sheppard?" Ronon almost whispered into his radio.

"Yeah?"

"Do you see them?"

"Rodney, I may need to fire a warning shot." He warned at McKay then spoke into his radio. "I'm coming."

"Fine, whatever." McKay's response was distracted.

Sheppard hurried back to the cave entrance. He picked up his P-90 and the binoculars, quickly taking in the now escalating situation. Pollus was not moving, but he was directing the others.

"Teyla?" Sheppard spoke quietly.

"Yes?" She responded.

"I want to break this up before it goes any further." He stuffed the binoculars in his pocket and raised his weapon.

"That might be wise." She tapped her radio then leaned towards Boslin and Matteus and whispered. "Please do not be alarmed."

The Colonel flicked the lever on the P-90 to single shot, but his hands shook as he tried to take aim. He leaned against the wall of the opening, steadying the weapon on the rock. He took several deep breaths then careful aim. A satisfying puff of stone dust kicked up three feet in front of Pollus' feet. The big man and his cohorts jumped back, trying to find the source. The crack of the shot reached their ears and they looked up. Sheppard stepped back into the full view of the people below and showed his weapon.

"Pollus! Evon! Cyrian! All of you!" Boslin's anger was barely controlled. "These people are here to help us. If you or any of your men try anything else, you will be held accountable for endangering all of our people."

"Boslin, you are not First Councilor." Pollus drew himself up to his full height, trying to intimidate the younger and smaller man. "He fired his weapon at me. That would have been murder!"

Ronon shifted slightly. "Sheppard hit exactly what he was aiming for. He only wanted to stop you from doing anything stupid."

"I will vouch that it was self-defense if he does shoot you." Matteus looked at each of Pollus' men. "I suggest you be a little more patient.

When Sheppard saw that everyone was calming down, unwilling to risk being picked off from above, he sat on the cave floor again. An hour later, he picked up the binoculars again and surveyed the people below. It seemed that the shot across Pollus' bow had the desired effect. Many of the Falnons were dozing in the hot sunshine, including most of the trouble-makers.

----------

"It has barely been forty-eight hours." Zelenka observed.

"I know." Elizabeth nodded at the technician sitting at the DHD console. The young woman pressed the symbols and the wormhole opened. "Turn on the camera and radio."

"Yes, Ma'am." Another technician activated the MALP.

"Col. Sheppard?" Elizabeth frowned at the image being transmitted through the wormhole. The technician swiveled the camera, stopping on two middle-aged Falnon men. They cautiously approached the MALP.

"Dr. Weir?" The older man spoke.

"Yes. I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir. Who are you?"

The older man bowed from the waist, and his companion followed suit. "I am Kostan, one of the Councilors of Falnon. This is Parnium. First Councilor Dinmar asked that I come here to greet you if you should come through the Ring of the Ancestors."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at Zelenka before she spoke. "Where are John Sheppard and the others?"

"They are safe, Dr. Weir. Please be assured of that." Kostan was a little flustered. "They are at the machine the Ancestors left to protect us, trying to repair it."

She was suspicious of his nervous demeanor. "Is something wrong, Councilor?"

Kostan hesitated then bowed again. "Some of our people have been influenced by the Genii. They threatened your people. In order to avoid confrontation and possibly hurting any Falnons, they fled into the hills and to the cave."

"What...?" Elizabeth's mind was racing. She turned to technician and whispered. "Get Maj. Lorne."

"Please, please!" Kostan wrung his hands. "We have just heard from Boslin and Matteus, who are with your friends. They are alive and well. The situation is under control. No harm will come to them."

"Who are Boslin and Matteus?" She demanded

"They are fellow Councilors. They went to help and sent word that John and the others reached the cave and were working to repair the machine." The Councilor seemed to be sure of his information. "Matteus is a friend of Pollus, and they will be able to reason with him and his men. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to prevent…"

"Councilor Kostan." Elizabeth interrupted. "I want to send a team to help. They will be ready to come through the Gate in fifteen minutes."

Kostan glanced at Parnium. "Please, we would be happy to have their aid. The cave is about five hours trek."

----------

Thirty minutes after coming through the Gate, Mj. Lorne fell back to a Sergeant carrying a large field radio on his back. Atlantis was to dial in every hour, on the hour for a check-in. Lorne was leading a team of eight, half of them holding Wraith stun weapons instead of P-90s. Three young Falnon men accompanied them, acting as guides.

The team was spread out but moving at a good pace. They were well past the town and in the middle of a field of half-grown grain. Lorne frowned as he adjusted the gain on the radio. Nothing was coming through. He signaled a halt to his team. They all stopped and began to scan the area around them.

"Is this thing working, Davis?" Lorne muttered to the Marine.

The Sergeant slid the radio off his back and squatted on the ground with it. "Yes, Sir. It was working when we came through the Gate. The battery is fully charged, and it was checked out a few days ago. I don't understand it, Major."

"Okay. We're only a couple of miles from the Gate. Let's see if we can raise Stackhouse." Lorne pressed the Push To Talk button on his radio. "Sgt. Stackhouse, this is Maj. Lorne."

They waited expectantly. After hearing nothing for several seconds, he tried again. "Stackhouse, this is Lorne."

When he heard nothing again, Lorne turned to his team, holding his radio. "Anyone hear that?"

The entire team indicated their radios were not working. The Major looked toward the mountains and chewed his lip. He waved one of the men over.

"Johnson, I want you and Davis to get back to the Gate and let Dr. Weir know the radios are out. Could be Col. Sheppard's team got the Ancient machine working again. Either way, tell her we're still heading for the cave. We'll get in contact as soon as possible."

"Yes, Sir." The two acknowledged the order then took off at a fast trot.

Lorne and the rest of his team headed out at a faster pace for the cave.

----------

McKay threw his hands in the air and slowly stood up, groaning loudly.

"I don't know what's wrong. I've tried everything I can think of, but it just won't…" The astrophysicist stopped and glanced toward the mouth of the cave. "What happened out there?"

"Nothing. A couple of the locals just got a little impatient. They're fine now." Sheppard frowned at the device. "Did you try kicking it?"

"Excuse me?"

Sheppard cocked his head to one side. "Just a suggestion."

McKay leaned over the machine. "There must be something else."

They stood in silence, looking at the machine. After a minute or so, the symbols around the cap glowed softly. They felt, rather than heard, an energy field emanating from it. Both men looked at each other in surprise then smiled. They heard noise coming from outside. Sheppard left McKay checking his equipment.

"Teyla, is everything okay?" He tapped his radio as he ran, but it was dead.

"Hey!" McKay shouted. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Sheppard kept running.

----------

"Look!" The man called Cyrian stood and pointed at the Ancient's lantern sitting on a boulder between Boslin and Matteus. It pulsated with light. The men quickly crowded around it, slapping each other on the back and talking at the same time.

"Do you see? The light of the Ancestors glows bright again." He looked directly at Pollus. "These people that you would have turned over to the Genii, or killed without provocation, have come to us and repaired the machine. We are safe again from the Wraith's flying craft and weapons."

Matteus pointed up to the cave and then at Teyla and Ronon. "Do you still wish to sell them for the pitiful offerings of the Genii?"

The men crowding close to see the lantern stepped back. None spoke for several moments. Finally, Pollus moved forward, the Genii weapon held at arms length. When he reached Boslin and Matteus, he bowed and handed the gun over.

"I only wanted to protect our people." He turned to the visitors and bowed again. "I am your servant."

"We understand." Teyla walked over and picked up the gun. She gave it back to Pollus, much to the latter's surprise. "You may need this. The Wraith can still walk through the Ring. We will teach you how to defend it."

----------

Sheppard was relieved when he saw Ronon holster his weapon and relax. The Falnons were no longer angry and suspicious. In an instant, everyone was best of friends. He leaned back against the wall of the cave and closed his eyes. Moments later, he heard McKay approaching and opened his eyes again.

"What's going on?" McKay was munching on an energy bar. He tried to look out from several feet back of the edge.

"Looks like the truce is permanent." Sheppard raised his voice so that he could be heard below. "Everything okay down there?"

Teyla shouted. "Yes, Colonel. Can we assume the device has been repaired?"

"Yes, yes it is." McKay yelled back. He turned to Sheppard and lowered his voice. "Nothing else is working, just like M7G-677."

Sheppard smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Ready to go home?"

McKay sighed in relief until he remembered that he had to get back down the cliff and how that would have to happen. He looked at Sheppard then hung his head. With a whimper, the astrophysicist went to collect his equipment.

Sheppard glanced at his roughly bandaged hands before picking up McKay's harness and detaching the carabiners and rope. He spliced together the two large coils of rope. After making sure the pulley was still securely anchored and ready, he whistled at Teyla and Ronon. When they looked up, he indicated he wanted Ronon to come to the base of the cliff.

Minutes later, the Colonel dropped his harness attached to one end of the rope to Ronon. "I want you to belay Rodney down. I can keep an eye on things from here."

"What?" McKay walked up with his backpack. "What are you doing?"

"Ronon can see where you are, so he's going to get you down." Sheppard took the pack and handed McKay the harness.

McKay looked nervously out of the cave but did not approach the edge. "Are you sure?"

Sheppard helped McKay into the harness and clipped the rope back onto it. "My hands are pretty cut up, Rodney. Besides, Ronon's a lot stronger than I am. You'll be perfectly safe. Tell him I'll send your pack down next."

He looked out to check if Ronon was in position. He was surprised to see Pollus hand Matteus the gun, join Ronon and pick up the rope. "Ready?"

Ronon nodded at Pollus and yelled back. "Yes."

As soon as McKay was over the side, Sheppard picked up his P-90 and the binoculars again. He sat on the edge of the cave mouth. The atmosphere below was markedly lighter now. Almost everyone there was watching McKay's decent with interest. Only Teyla and Boslin were turned the other way, looking for any signs of mischief. Sheppard chuckled to himself when he heard McKay complaining about the occasional brush against the cliff.

A short time later, the carabiners clinked together as they bounced into Sheppard's view. He got up, clipped on McKay's pack and tugged the rope. The rope hissed through the pulley as the pack disappeared. The carabiners quickly reappeared. As he put on his harness, a whistle made Sheppard peer down.

"You need help?" Ronon and Pollus were standing back from the cliff, looking up.

"No, I'm good. Go help Teyla keep an eye on our friends."

"Are you sure?" McKay came into view, looking up. He turned to Ronon and said something. They both looked up. "I can help Teyla."

"Okay. You've convinced me." Sheppard clipped the carabiners onto the harness and tugged the rope. The slack was taken up so he turned and stepped over the edge. He was grateful that the trip down was fast and smooth. When he got to the bottom, a handful of the Falnon men were standing nearby. They were smiling broadly.

Once on the ground, Sheppard stepped out of the harness and handed it to Ronon. He spoke quietly. "Pull the rope down for me. I don't want to leave a means for anyone to get up there."

----------

Sheppard's team and the Falnons broke out of the forest nearly three hours after leaving the cliff. He called a halt when they spotted Lorne's group across a wide field. Everyone sat in the shade of the trees. They were fatigued and happy to rest. The town was still twelve miles away.

"Major?" Sheppard smiled wearily at Lorne as he approached.

"Good to see you, Sir." Lorne looked suspiciously at the Falnon men. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. It is now. What are you doing here?" Sheppard asked.

"Got anything to eat? And, some water?" McKay interrupted.

Lorne suppressed a grin and fished an energy bar from a vest pocket. He handed it and his canteen to the astrophysicist who eagerly ripped open the bar and began to eat. The Major then turned to his men. Most of them came forward with MREs, more energy bars and canteens.

Sheppard walked a little way form the others with Lorne as he opened an MRE. "I take it Dr. Weir sent you."

"Yes, Sir. She dialed in at exactly forty-eight hours."

Sheppard looked at his watch then squinted up at the sun with a frown. It was only late-afternoon. "My watch stopped when the machine came online. Has it been forty-eight hours? The days must be longer here."

"Yes, Sir. Anyway, some guy named Kostan told us what happened." The Major glanced back at the men sitting under the trees. "Once we got away from the Gate, we couldn't use radios. I assumed that means Dr. McKay fixed the machine, so I sent Johnson and Davis back to the Gate to report in."

"Wait a minute." The Colonel walked back to where McKay was sitting, with Lorne following. "Major, how long ago did you come through the Gate?"

Lorne shrugged. "My watch has stopped, too. It's been a couple of hours. Why?"

McKay looked up from his MRE with interest. "What are you getting at?"

"Could the reset button have been when the…" Sheppard started.

McKay suddenly tried to stand up. "Ow! The reset button. Yes. The machine may have needed the energy pulse from the Gate to restart."

"It's quite a distance, Sir." Lorne looked from McKay to Sheppard.

"Just a thought." Sheppard paused for a moment then turned back to the others and raised his voice. "Okay, kids. Time to go."

----------

Elizabeth walked into the infirmary. She was a little surprised to see Col. Sheppard was the only patient. He was now dressed in track pants and a t-shirt, and was a good deal cleaner than when he had come through the Gate. He was sitting on the edge of a bed, forearms resting on a wheeled table, hands out with palms up. She walked around the bed and saw his head was bowed down a little. He seemed to be dozing.

Dr. Beckett looked up and smiled at her. He was gently cleaning the Colonel's hands, carefully cutting away some loose skin of the broken blisters. The raw wounds made Elizabeth wince. She saw the rough bandages on them earlier, but Sheppard had just shrugged off her concern.

"Hey!" Sheppard's head snapped up. He frowned at Beckett. "Are you almost finished?"

"Well, I did offer to numb them up for you." Beckett continued his ministrations. He swabbed on a clear ointment and began to wrap Sheppard's hands with gauze.

The Colonel yawned and looked up at Elizabeth grinned. "You know, you didn't have to send Lorne after us."

"I know." She looked around. "Where are Teyla, Rodney and Ronon?"

"Rodney is over there, fast asleep." Beckett crooked his thumb towards a screened off bed on the far side of the room. They heard snoring coming from that direction. "Teyla and Ronon are asleep in their quarters. At least they'd better be."

Elizabeth craned her neck to try to see McKay around the screen. "Is he alright?"

"Oh, aye. His blood sugar was a little low and he's bit dehydrated, but he'll be fine by tomorrow. Well, apart from a little sunburn, and some bruises and abrasions." Beckett turned his attention back to the Colonel's hands. "You know, he really does get hypoglycemic."

"Hmm. Rodney did a hell of a lot better than I thought he would out there. I kind of feel guilty keeping him out past bedtime." Sheppard grinned then frowned at the Doctor. "Seriously, he is okay, isn't he?"

Beckett nodded. "Aye. He's fine. From what I hear though, he's going to be sore as hell when he wakes up."

"I think we'll all be a little sore." Sheppard arched his back, wincing. "It was kind of a rough, what, two days."

Elizabeth leaned against the bed and crossed her arms, looking at Sheppard. "Yes, I'd like to hear all about those two days."

"Sure." The Colonel said absently as he watched Beckett tape the end of the gauze on his left hand. The bandages covered his palms but left his fingers mostly free, even though there were cuts and smaller blisters on most of them. "Join me for dinner?"

"The mission report can wait." Beckett picked up a syringe and an alcohol wipe. He jabbed Sheppard in the arm and quickly followed with a second injection.

"Ow. What're those for?" Sheppard rubbed the puncture marks with his fingertips.

"Antibiotics and vitamin supplements. Now, I want you to get some rest." Beckett said as he wheeled the table away from the bed. He saw Sheppard's scowl. "Okay, after you've eaten."

"Thanks, Doc." Sheppard carefully slid off the bed. Instead of immediately leaving the infirmary, he went over to McKay's bed, pushing aside the screen. Using his fingertips, he gently shook the sleeping man's shoulder. "Rodney, roll over. You're snoring again."

They heard McKay moan softly, but he turned to his side. The snoring stopped. Sheppard rocked his head a fraction to one side and grinned when Elizabeth and McKay chuckled. He headed for the door.

"Elizabeth, make sure he gets to bed." Beckett spoke quietly as pulled off his gloves. "Soon."

"I'll make sure he gets home, Carson." Elizabeth hurried out of the infirmary.

----------

Sheppard turned the wrong way twice before they reached the mess hall. They were both happy to see few people lingering there. His painful hands posed a problem when he tried to pick up his tray. Before Elizabeth could set down her own tray, a young lieutenant seated nearby got up to help.

"Thanks, Jamison." Sheppard flashed the young man a quick smile.

"No problem, Sir." The young man smiled back then left.

"Where were we?" He said as he tried to maneuver his fork.

Elizabeth sipped a mug of tea as she watched him, resisting the temptation to help. He had a nasty bruise on his right cheek and dark circles under his eyes. All four of the team returned with bruises, cuts and scrapes. She'd heard enough from Teyla and Ronon to know he was exhausted. She was more than a little surprised that he had an appetite at all.

"Why didn't you just hide out and come back through the Gate when the Falnons left?"

"No place to hide. They don't have that much land and know ever inch of it." He looked at the bandages on his hands. They made it difficult to eat. Sheppard frowned at her. "We couldn't leave them without trying. The Wraith. The Genii. I couldn't leave them without trying to fix it."

Elizabeth knew the thought of leaving the Falnons would have eaten at him if there had been a possibility of helping. M7G-677 had been too close a call. She spoke softly. "We could have gone back, John."

"If we'd left, we couldn't have gone back." He was fighting to stay awake. "It might've been too late."

"They wanted to turn you over to the Genii." She reminded him.

He shook his head once. "Only a few of them. They're scared to death, Elizabeth. All of them. Everywhere. They're so scared of the Wraith, some of them are willing to take any help they can get."

"Well, the Falnons don't have to worry about that now."

The Colonel shook his head. He looked down at his tray, suddenly tiring of the meal. He dropped his fork and pushed the tray to one side.

"They're still vulnerable. The Wraith can walk through the Gate if they want to. The Falnon people have to live within a few miles of the Gate. We need to help them defend themselves if they need to."

She reached out and put her hand over his. "John…"

His eyes met hers. "You know it'll come to that one day. Any planet with that kind of protection is still vulnerable. The Wraith will eventually be forced to cull those planets. They only need to either land outside of the energy field or walk through the Gate. Falnon and the kids on M7G-677 will all eventually be taken. There's too many Wraith and not enough people to feed on."

"We'll help them." She kept her hand on his.

"Sorry." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Any remaining energy suddenly drained away from him. "I think I need to go to sleep now."

"Yes, yes, of course." Elizabeth stood up. She caught the eye of one of the mess hall staff and pointed at the trays. He nodded and started to walk over to collect them. "Come on, let's get you to your quarters."

Sheppard opened his eyes and stood up. "Did Beckett tell you to tuck me in?"

"Something like that." Elizabeth smiled as they walked out.

The End


End file.
